William Noel Hodgson
William Noel Hodgson MC (3 January 1893 - 1 July 1916) was an English poet of the First World War. He published stories and poems under the pen name Edward Melbourne. Life Hodgson was the fourth and youngest child of Henry Bernard Hodgson, the Bishop of Saint Edmundsbury and Ipswich. He entered into The School House of Durham School in September 1905 on a King's Scholarship. He steered in the second crew in 1907; was in the XI, 1910, 1911; and was in the XV, 1910. He won the Steeplechase in 1909 and 1911. He left Durham in July 1911, with Gallipoli war poet and friend Nowell Oxland, for Oxford University. Known as 'Smiler' to his friends, he was an exhibitioner of Christ Church. He obtained a first class degree in Classical Moderations in March 1913 and decided to stay and do Greats. He volunteered for the British Army on the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 and served in the 9th Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment. For the first year of the War he was training in England, before landing at Le Havre on 28 July, 1915 and being sent to trenches near Festubert. His first major offensive came on 25 September during the Battle of Loos. He was mentioned in despatches and awarded the Military Cross for holding a captured trench for 36 hours without reinforcements or supplies during the battle, and was subsequently promoted to lieutenant. Having returned to England after the Battle of Loos, he was positioned with his Battalion in the front line trenches at Fricourt in February 1916, before moving a kilometre or so to the trenches opposite the town of Mametz in April. The trench was named Mansell Copse, as it was in a group of trees. He was killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme when attacking German trenches near Mametz. He was bombing officer for his battalion during the attack, and was killed by a machine gun positioned at a shrine whilst taking grenades to the men in the newly captured trenches. The bullet went through his neck, killing him instantly. His servant was found next to him after the offensive had ended. He is buried in Devonshire Cemetery in Mansell Copse. Writing Although Hodgson had been writing poetry since at least 1913, he began publishing stories and poems in periodicals only at the beginning of 1916, under the pen name Edward Melbourne. Hodgson's posthumous volume Verse and Prose in Peace and War', published in London by Murray in 1917, ran into three editions. He is probably best remembered today for his poem 'Before Action', which was written two days before he died. It is a commonly held belief that the poem was written with the premonition of his death, from his knowledge of the German machine gun positions; the last line is "Help me to die, O Lord". Before Action By all the glories of the day And the cool evening's benison By that last sunset touch that lay Upon the hills when day was done, By beauty lavishly outpoured And blessings carelessly received, By all the days that I have lived Make me a soldier, Lord. By all of all man's hopes and fears And all the wonders poets sing, The laughter of unclouded years, And every sad and lovely thing; By the romantic ages stored With high endeavour that was his, By all his mad catastrophes Make me a man, O Lord. I, that on my familiar hill Saw with uncomprehending eyes A hundred of thy sunsets spill Their fresh and sanguine sacrifice, Ere the sun swings his noonday sword Must say good-bye to all of this; - By all delights that I shall miss, Help me to die, O Lord. See also * List of British poets Publications *''Verse and Prose in Peace and War''. London: Smith, Elder, 1916; London: John Murray, 1920.Search results = au:William Noel Hodgson, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, July 31, 2014. References * Haig, Catriona. "Hodgson, William Noel (1893–1916)." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Ed. H.C.G. Matthew and Brian Harrison. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004. *Medomsley, J. William Noel Hodgson: the Gentle Poet. 1989. Notes External links ;Poems *"Release" *Selected Poetry of William Noel Hodgson (1893-1916) (1 poem, "Before Action") at Representative Poetry Online *William Noel Hodgson at PoemHunter (7 poems) *William Noel Hodgson at AllPoetry (7 poems). ;Audio / video *"England to Her Sons" at YouTube ;About *"How Berwick schoolboy became one of the best known WWI poets" at Berwick Advertiser Category:1893 births Category:1916 deaths Category:Devonshire Regiment officers Category:British military personnel killed in World War I Category:English poets Category:Old Dunelmians Category:Recipients of the Military Cross Category:British Army personnel of World War I Category:British World War I poets Category:Poets Category:20th-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:War poets